In Ohio, including Columbus, you generally have 2 years to bring a workplace discrimination charge before the Ohio Civil Rights Commission (R.C. 4112.051(C)(2)) and 300 days to file with the EEOC. You usually must file a charge before suing. Housing charges are generally due within 1 year, and public accommodation charges within 6 months.
This page provides general information, not legal advice about your matter. Contacting the firm does not create an attorney-client relationship.
Strong discrimination cases can be lost on timing alone. The employer’s lawyers know it, and they will check your filing date before they read a word of your story. We lock down every deadline first. Jeckering & Associates, LLC files discrimination charges and lawsuits for Ohio employees, working out of 10 N High St, Suite 301, Columbus (614-944-5151).
What are the main discrimination filing deadlines in Ohio?
The two numbers that matter most are 2 years for an Ohio Civil Rights Commission (OCRC) employment charge and 300 days for an EEOC charge. The shorter one controls if you want to keep federal claims.
| Claim or step | General deadline | Source |
|---|---|---|
| OCRC charge, employment discrimination | 2 years after the alleged unlawful practice | R.C. 4112.051(C)(2) |
| Ohio employment lawsuit | 2 years after the practice, paused while a timely OCRC charge is pending (and for 60 more days if the charge was filed in the last 60 days of the charge window) | R.C. 4112.052(C) |
| EEOC charge (Title VII, ADA, ADEA) in Ohio | 300 days after the discriminatory act | 42 U.S.C. § 2000e-5(e)(1); EEOC |
| Federal lawsuit after an EEOC charge | 90 days from receipt of the EEOC’s right-to-sue notice | 42 U.S.C. § 2000e-5(f)(1); EEOC |
| OCRC housing charge | 1 year | R.C. 4112.05(B)(1) |
| OCRC public accommodation or credit charge | 6 months | R.C. 4112.05(B)(1) |
| Federal employees: contact an agency EEO counselor | 45 days | 29 C.F.R. § 1614.105(a)(1) |
| Equal Pay Act lawsuit (no agency charge required) | 2 years from each unequal paycheck; 3 years if willful | 29 U.S.C. § 255(a); EEOC |
Retaliation charges follow the same agency deadline as the claim they arise from. Public employees and federal workers can face extra steps, so confirm your path before you count on any date. Claims against government bodies are covered on the civil rights and government accountability page.
When does the clock start on a discrimination claim?
On the date of the discriminatory act, such as the day you are told you are fired, demoted or not hired. It does not wait for your last day of work (Delaware State College v. Ricks, 449 U.S. 250 (1980)).
Each discrete act, such as a firing, a failure to promote or a transfer, starts its own clock (National Railroad Passenger Corp. v. Morgan, 536 U.S. 101 (2002)). Harassment is treated as one continuing claim, so the EEOC charge is timely if filed within 300 days of the last incident. Ohio’s rule also restarts the period for a violation that is continuing or recurring (Ohio Adm.Code 4112-3-01(D)(2)).
Not sure which date starts your clock? Bring it to 614-944-5151; we count it with you.
Do you have to file a charge before suing for discrimination in Ohio?
Usually yes. Ohio law generally requires an OCRC charge before an employment discrimination lawsuit (R.C. 4112.052(B)), and federal Title VII requires an EEOC charge and a Notice of Right to Sue.
Ohio allows a lawsuit after a charge when the OCRC grants a notice of right to sue, when it fails to act on a request within 45 days after it is allowed to grant the request, or when you elect to go to court after a probable-cause finding. You can skip the OCRC charge only when you seek injunctive relief alone. And if you filed timely charges with both the OCRC and the EEOC, an EEOC right-to-sue notice lets you sue without waiting on the OCRC (R.C. 4112.052(B)(2)).
Getting a right-to-sue notice
The OCRC cannot grant a request for a notice of right to sue until 60 days after the charge was filed (R.C. 4112.051(N)). On the federal side, the EEOC must issue a Notice of Right to Sue on request once 180 days have passed since the charge was filed, and the 90-day clock runs from receipt.
Should I file with the OCRC, the EEOC or both?
Often one filing covers both. The OCRC and the EEOC have a worksharing arrangement, so a charge filed with one is generally dual-filed with the other.
Under Ohio’s rule, an EEOC charge that lists the OCRC is treated as filed with the OCRC, and as timely if filed with the EEOC within 2 years (Ohio Adm.Code 4112-3-01(D)(3)). The trap runs the other way: an OCRC charge filed after day 300 can preserve the Ohio claim while losing the federal one. Charges can be started on the Ohio Civil Rights Commission’s filing page or the EEOC’s charge page.
Do retaliation, medical leave and equal pay claims follow the same clocks?
Not always. Discrimination-related retaliation follows the agency charge deadlines above, while some claims go straight to court.
- Retaliation for a discrimination complaint: same OCRC and EEOC charge deadlines. See workplace retaliation after a complaint.
- FMLA: no agency charge is required before a lawsuit. See medical leave after FMLA runs out.
- Equal Pay Act: this Fair Labor Standards Act claim (29 U.S.C. § 206(d)) needs no agency charge, and the time to sue runs from each unequal paycheck.
- Section 1981 race claims: no agency charge, and filing an EEOC charge does not pause this separate clock (Johnson v. Railway Express Agency, 421 U.S. 454 (1975)). See race discrimination at work.
Does an HR complaint or union grievance pause the deadline?
No. Internal complaints, union grievances, arbitration and mediation generally leave the charge-filing period running, according to the EEOC and the Supreme Court (International Union of Electrical Workers v. Robbins & Myers, Inc., 429 U.S. 229 (1976)).
Report problems internally if you want to, but run the agency deadline on its own track. Calling a lawyer does not stop it either; only a timely filing does.
What if the discrimination happened more than 300 days ago?
You may still have an Ohio claim. An OCRC charge can be filed up to 2 years after the act, even when the federal 300-day window has closed.
Harassment that continued into the last 300 days, or a later discrete act, can also keep a case alive. Do not decide on your own that it is too late; have the dates checked.
What should I have ready before filing a charge?
Dates, names and documents. A charge must be in writing and under oath (R.C. 4112.051(C)(2)), so accuracy matters from the start.
- The date of each decision and who made it
- Your employer’s legal name, address and approximate number of employees
- Names of witnesses and of coworkers treated differently
- Copies of any written complaint and response
- Termination, discipline or pay documents
Our employment law team can review the timeline and file the charge to protect every claim available to you.
Frequently asked questions
Is the deadline 180 or 300 days?
In Ohio, 300 days for most EEOC charges. The 180-day period applies only where no state agency enforces a similar law, and Ohio has the Ohio Civil Rights Commission.
What is the OCRC filing deadline in Ohio?
Generally 2 years after the discriminatory employment act under R.C. 4112.051(C)(2). Housing charges are generally due in 1 year and public accommodation charges in 6 months.
Can I go straight to court without filing a charge?
Usually not for Ohio or Title VII employment claims, and the exceptions are narrow. Equal Pay Act, FMLA and Section 1981 claims, by contrast, need no agency charge.
Does contacting a lawyer stop the deadline?
No. Only a timely charge or lawsuit protects the claim, so speak with a lawyer early enough to file before the deadline.
What starts the 90-day deadline to sue?
The day the EEOC’s notice reaches you. You then have 90 days to file the federal lawsuit.
Does filing an internal complaint extend my time?
No. Internal complaints, grievances, arbitration and mediation generally do not extend the charge deadline.
What is the Equal Pay Act deadline?
Generally 2 years from each unequal paycheck, or 3 years if the violation was willful (29 U.S.C. § 255(a)).
Want to know which discrimination deadlines apply to you?
Call 614-944-5151 to have every date counted, or send us your timeline. We fight for your rights by telling you which clocks apply and what to file first.
Jeckering & Associates, LLC · Columbus office: 10 N High St, Suite 301, Columbus, OH 43215 · 614-944-5151 · Mechanicsburg office: 16 S Main St, Mechanicsburg, OH 43044 · 937-896-2222 · staff@centralohiolegal.com · Hours Mon–Fri 9:00 AM–5:30 PM